Obesity, as defined by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), is when a child's weight is 10 percent higher than what is recommended for her height and body type. Obesity in childhood typically begins between the ages of five and six, and while certain health conditions are contributing factors, in most cases the obesity is due to factors such as lifestyle, genetics and environment.
Genetics
The AACAP states that when one parent is obese, a child has a 50 percent chance of also being obese. This percentage increases to 80 percent if both parents are overweight.
Diet
A diet high in calories, sugar and fat is not good for anyone, especially a growing child. If your child is eating cookies or baked goods on a regular basis and washing it down with a soda, he is filling himself with empty, sugar-filled calories that serve no purpose but to pack on the pounds. The Mayo Clinic states that candy and desserts may very well cause weight gain in your child or teen.
Sedentary Lifestyle
The Mayo Clinic states that children who do not exercise are more likely to gain weight due to the fact that they are not burning enough calories via physical activity. To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. Likewise, if you take in excess calories and do nothing to burn them, weight gain results.
The Family
The family plays an extremely important role in a child or teen's weight gain. Those responsible for buying the groceries can either help or hurt a child's weight just in the food purchases made. If convenience foods are bought, such as processed or snack foods, they may contribute to weight gain in a child. However, if fresh foods are purchased, such as fruits and vegetables, healthy eating habits are formed and the risk of childhood obesity is reduced.
The Mayo Clinic adds to this, stating that children who come from a family of overweight people are more likely to be overweight themselves. This is not always due to genetic make-up, but also to being raised in an environment where high-calorie foods are readily available and exercise is not promoted.
Psychological Factors
How a child or teen copes with problems or views food is another factor--the psychological factor. Some children who find it difficult to deal with problems, stress or emotions use food as their coping mechanism, overeating as they do so. Sometimes a child will eat simply because he is bored. The Mayo Clinic states that in certain cases, the parents may have the same tendencies.
Economic Situations
The Mayo Clinic states that children who are from low-income backgrounds are also at a greater risk for becoming obese. This is due to lack of money and time on the part of the parents to make healthy eating and exercise a priority for their children.
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